Esseline Eloise Crawford

OBITUARY OF ESSELINE ELOISE CALLENDER CRAWFORD May 23, 1926 to December 28, 2015 was born in New York City on May 23, 1926 to Nathan Callender of Barbados, W.I. and Inez Humphrey Callender of British Guiana (now Guyana), South America. She was the oldest of three children and grew up in Harlem, New York before moving to Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn as a teenager. She was a lifelong Catholic and attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic Boarding School in Virginia from which she graduated in 1944. Her first job was in a nail head factory in Manhattan. After moving to Brooklyn, her godbrother introduced her to her future husband, Leon Lester Crawford, who she married on February 16, 1947. Their marriage produced two children, Yvette Ann Crawford and Leon Lester Crawford, Jr. Esseline was a stay at home mom and eventually started babysitting for working mothers. She was a very efficient homemaker and child care provider as a result of her training at St. Francis de Sales. Just before her daughter entered high school, she took a course in stenography and key punching and secured a job as a Clerk for the New York City Human Resources Administration (formerly the Department of Social Services). By taking civil service exams, she rose through the ranks to become a Principal Administrative Associate. Her job consisted of traveling to various hospitals around New York City to educate staff about assisting patients with Medicaid applications. She retired from HRA in 1986 after 25 years of service. Leon retired from the United States Postal Service before Esseline and became a Travel Agent. Therefore, they became avid travelers, cruising and flying practically all over the world. Her retirement made them even less likely to be at home. But it was Essie (as she was sometimes called) who was tired of New York winters and sometimes being snowed in and she had her sights set on moving to Florida. She finally convinced Leon that it was the right thing to do for their senior years and they moved down in 1986. She joined St. Augustine’s Catholic Church and they happily lived for 20 years in Fern Park and then Winter Springs until his passing in 2006. They were married for 59 years. As a widow, Essie continued to celebrate life though she sorely missed her husband. She continued to travel, coming to New York for her daughter’s retirement, her niece’s wedding, visiting family and friends in other parts of Florida and having numerous house guests. She took her last cruise in April and, with the help of her caregiver, went to 3 Christmas parties last month. She loved entertaining and socializing. Esseline was predeceased by her parents, her husband, her brother, Nathan Callender, her sister Constance Prince, her son, eon Crawford, Jr., her cousin, Eva Phillips, her husband’s parents and his siblings. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter, Yvette Jenkins, her son-in-law, Brad Jenkins, her grandsons, Kareem, Sekou and Malik Jenkins, and Travis Crawford, her nieces, Mashariki Okbar-Steele, Dale Scooler, Marcia Prince and Natalie Conover, her nephew, Douglas Rowe, her brother-in-law, James Prince and sisters-in-law, Theresa Crawford and Alphine Callender, her cousin, Dorrie October, her goddaughter, Gwendolyn Knight, her great grandchildren, Daniel Barton-Jenkins, Chloe Jenkins, Kamren, Taijon and Javion Crawford, other relatives and many dear friends. Her vivacious spirit and zest for life will be greatly missed. Visitation will be 3-5 PM, Monday, January 4, 2015 at the Baldwin Fairchild East Altamonte Chapel. Visitation will be held at the St. Augustine Catholic Church from 9:30-10:30 AM, Tuesday, January 5, 2015 followed by the Mass at 10:30 AM. Lovingly prepared by her daughter, Yvette Ann Crawford Jenkins